Writer’s nightmare – which one is right?

20 examples of words that cause so many problems

There must be hundreds of occasions when you’ve thought twice over a word that you’ve typed and asked the question ‘Is that right?’ How many times, though, have you actually referred to a dictionary or a thesaurus to check it out or just thought ‘Blow it, let it go…’

Well, here are 20 examples of words that can fit into that category of making you think twice and that cause us so many problems if we don’t and then end up getting them the wrong way round.

Adverse / Averse

Adverse – means ‘harmful or unfavourable’ whereas…

Averse – means ‘having a strong dislike to…’

Advice / Advise

Advice – means ‘guidance with regard to a future action’ whereas…

Advise – is the verb to give guidance or advice to.

Affect / Effect

Affect – means ‘to alter or influence’ or ‘to have an effect on something’ whereas…

Effect – means ‘a result’ or ‘to make something happen’.

Compliment / Complement

Compliment – an ‘expression of praise or admiration’ whereas…

Complement – means ‘something that adds value to…’

Criterion / Criteria

Criterion – the singular of criteria – a basis for comparison, whereas…

Criteria – the plural of criterion means ‘one or more bases for comparison’.

Discreet / Discrete

Discreet – means ‘careful and prudent’ whereas…

Discrete – means ‘separate and distinct’.

Elicit / Illicit

Elicit – means ‘to evoke or draw out’ whereas…

Illicit – means ‘illegal or unlawful’.

Farther / Further

Farther – tends to be used to infer ‘a great distance away’ whereas…

Further – can mean ‘moreover’ as well as ‘to promote or advance a theory’.

Formally / Formerly

Formally – means ‘officially’ whereas…

Formerly – means ‘in the past or latterly’.

i.e. / e.g.

i.e. (id est) – means ‘that is’ or ‘in other words’ whereas…

e.g. (exempli gratia) – means ‘for example’

Imply / Infer

Imply – means ‘to suggest’ whereas…

Infer – means ‘to deduce from evidence and reasoning’.

Insure / Ensure

Insure – means ‘to secure or protect against damage’ whereas…

Ensure – means ‘to make certain that something will happen’.

It’s / Its

It’s – short for ‘it is’ whereas…

Its – the possessive form of ‘it’.

Loathe / Loath

Loathe – means ‘to hate or detest’ whereas…

Loath – means ‘reluctant or unwilling’

Precede / Proceed

Precede – means ‘to come before something in time’ whereas…

Proceed – means ‘to begin a course of action’ or ‘to move forward’.

Principal / Principle

Principal – means ‘first in order of importance’ whereas…

Principle – means ‘a fundamental rule of conduct’.

They’re / Their

They’re – short for ‘they are’ whereas…

Their – the possessive of ‘they’.

Who / That

Who – is used when referring to a person whereas…

That – is used when referring to an object or thing

Who’s / Whose

Who’s – short for ‘who is’ whereas…

Whose – the possessive form of ‘who’.

You’re / Your

You’re – short for ‘you are’ whereas…

Your – the possessive form of ‘you’.

Definitions and meanings courtesy of The New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors

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